For weeks, FootJoy had been teasing that it had been feeling froggy in designing its latest shoe.
On Friday, the shoe maker unveiled its new creation, the tree frog-inspired FreeStyle shoe. The influence is pretty obvious: The shoe, like a tree frog, is compact, colorful, moves well and grips great. In this particular shoe, the goal was to create something that allows golfers maximum mobility through the swing to generate as much power as they can.
The shoes, available Feb. 15, have a lightweight, breathable performance mesh, with a waterproof guarantee.
The outsole is dubbed F.R.O.G.S, standing for FootJoy's Revolutionary Outsole Grip System. Alright, that's a bit excessive. However, the SoftMax outsole, which is a two-tone translucent rubber look, has nubs all over it for traction, while six Pulsar spikes grips the turf. The exposed EVA foam FlexZone lets the foot move naturally.
The shoe is intended to be very comfortable as well, with extra cushioning and an Achilles pad to prevent chaffing and blistering. The InnerLock fitting system, including features in the heel and tongue, aim to keep the foot from moving around in the shoe while the shoe lets the foot move naturally. Stability to provide flexibility.
The standout of three colorways is the navy blue and orange shoe with lime green accents. However, there are also variations on black, white and grey in two other models.
Beyond the standard FreeStyle, there is a model featuring a Boa-enclosure system for a custom fit. That'll cost $20 more and have its own two colorways -- a grey, navy blue and red berry shoe, as well a black and grey shoe with lime accents.
